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meretriculalest ye fear that I had abandoned ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
stickmarionette's and my mutual brainchild, the royalty AU lives! previous installations:
Xavi says good-bye to Andres (by me), Pep talks with/pervs on Raul (bystickmarionette), Xavi has a dramatic exchange with Hierro (by me), the Beckhams are introduced and Iker finally shows up (by me), a wild Leo appears, bearing political intrigue (by stickmarionette), Iker and Xavi's meeting before the wedding, now with bonus Raul/Mori (by me), and now !
"You know you don't have to do this," Pep said, apropos of nothing. Xavi glanced up with a quizzical expression, and Pep elaborated, "Marry Prince Iker. You don't have to."
"Well, I'm certainly not going to let Lord Father marry Andres off to that bloodthirsty little brat Sergio," Xavi said, and turned his attention back to the reports in front of him. "Are these figures on the grain tithes accurate? It seems like a large discrepancy from last year's."
"Xavi, look at me." Pep waited for Xavi to meet his eyes before he went on. Xavi knew exactly how his brother was manipulating him -- he'd taught him how to do it himself -- but somehow it never mattered once Pep started talking. He could convince anyone that he cared. Sometimes Xavi thought that it was because deep down, Pep really did. "I won't let Father send you to Madrid if you don't want to marry Prince Iker. There are other ways to seal a nonaggression pact."
"We've never been able to get an agent into the Madrid court," Xavi said. "Not that high up. I know we've been talking about sending the little ghost, but this will be so much safer. It would be worth the wedding just for that. And anyway, I like Iker."
Pep raised an eyebrow. "A strong endorsement indeed."
"I'm a younger son," Xavi said, unperturbed. "I was always going to be married off to some lord or lady when Lord Father thought it would be profitable -- either that or the priesthood, and I'll leave that to Andres. His temperament is better suited. I'm glad to marry Iker. I didn't expect to like my husband."
Pep's face twisted. "I wanted better than that for you."
You wanted better than that for yourself, Xavi thought but had enough self-preservation not to say aloud. It was strange to realize that even Pep had blind spots sometimes. Xavi wasn't in love with anyone: he would miss his brothers, but if he could serve Catalunya by getting married, he would do it without regrets. And he did like Prince Iker. Better than either of his brothers, certainly -- Xavi knew Pep liked Raul but he personally found the crown prince of Madrid terrifying in an uncompromising way that only idealists could manage, and Sergio was a psychotic little shit who'd knocked Andres down and made him cry over a toy when he was six. Andres claimed not to remember the incident, but Xavi was perfectly capable of holding a grudge big enough for both of them.
He liked Iker better than most people he knew at all. Ever since Pep had taken his education in hand four years ago, Xavi found he was less and less interested in the other young nobles who graced the court with their presence. His closest confidant was his older brother, and the few people he considered friends were lowborn -- Puyol in the palace guards, Saviola in the stables. The only person he saw at court that he had anything in common with anymore was Victor, and even their mutual devotion to Andres could only supply so much in the way of conversation. Small wonder that Xavi was nostalgic for the summer he'd spent in Helvetia two years before, nominally dancing attendance on the senile old emperor to win his favor for Lord Father, and in reality running wild through the Helvetian countryside with Iker and Carlos, the nephew of the Marquis of Valentia.
"I am proud to serve Lord Father however he asks," he said at last, keeping his voice firm enough to stop even Pep from arguing.
"Then Father is lucky to have you," Pep said, and let the conversation turn back to grain harvests.
post about![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
yuletide will be coming when I don't have Christmas dinner still to attend to!
stickmarionette's and my mutual brainchild, the royalty AU lives! previous installations: Xavi says good-bye to Andres (by me), Pep talks with/pervs on Raul (by
stickmarionette), Xavi has a dramatic exchange with Hierro (by me), the Beckhams are introduced and Iker finally shows up (by me), a wild Leo appears, bearing political intrigue (by stickmarionette), Iker and Xavi's meeting before the wedding, now with bonus Raul/Mori (by me), and now !"You know you don't have to do this," Pep said, apropos of nothing. Xavi glanced up with a quizzical expression, and Pep elaborated, "Marry Prince Iker. You don't have to."
"Well, I'm certainly not going to let Lord Father marry Andres off to that bloodthirsty little brat Sergio," Xavi said, and turned his attention back to the reports in front of him. "Are these figures on the grain tithes accurate? It seems like a large discrepancy from last year's."
"Xavi, look at me." Pep waited for Xavi to meet his eyes before he went on. Xavi knew exactly how his brother was manipulating him -- he'd taught him how to do it himself -- but somehow it never mattered once Pep started talking. He could convince anyone that he cared. Sometimes Xavi thought that it was because deep down, Pep really did. "I won't let Father send you to Madrid if you don't want to marry Prince Iker. There are other ways to seal a nonaggression pact."
"We've never been able to get an agent into the Madrid court," Xavi said. "Not that high up. I know we've been talking about sending the little ghost, but this will be so much safer. It would be worth the wedding just for that. And anyway, I like Iker."
Pep raised an eyebrow. "A strong endorsement indeed."
"I'm a younger son," Xavi said, unperturbed. "I was always going to be married off to some lord or lady when Lord Father thought it would be profitable -- either that or the priesthood, and I'll leave that to Andres. His temperament is better suited. I'm glad to marry Iker. I didn't expect to like my husband."
Pep's face twisted. "I wanted better than that for you."
You wanted better than that for yourself, Xavi thought but had enough self-preservation not to say aloud. It was strange to realize that even Pep had blind spots sometimes. Xavi wasn't in love with anyone: he would miss his brothers, but if he could serve Catalunya by getting married, he would do it without regrets. And he did like Prince Iker. Better than either of his brothers, certainly -- Xavi knew Pep liked Raul but he personally found the crown prince of Madrid terrifying in an uncompromising way that only idealists could manage, and Sergio was a psychotic little shit who'd knocked Andres down and made him cry over a toy when he was six. Andres claimed not to remember the incident, but Xavi was perfectly capable of holding a grudge big enough for both of them.
He liked Iker better than most people he knew at all. Ever since Pep had taken his education in hand four years ago, Xavi found he was less and less interested in the other young nobles who graced the court with their presence. His closest confidant was his older brother, and the few people he considered friends were lowborn -- Puyol in the palace guards, Saviola in the stables. The only person he saw at court that he had anything in common with anymore was Victor, and even their mutual devotion to Andres could only supply so much in the way of conversation. Small wonder that Xavi was nostalgic for the summer he'd spent in Helvetia two years before, nominally dancing attendance on the senile old emperor to win his favor for Lord Father, and in reality running wild through the Helvetian countryside with Iker and Carlos, the nephew of the Marquis of Valentia.
"I am proud to serve Lord Father however he asks," he said at last, keeping his voice firm enough to stop even Pep from arguing.
"Then Father is lucky to have you," Pep said, and let the conversation turn back to grain harvests.
post about
yuletide will be coming when I don't have Christmas dinner still to attend to!
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Date: 2012-12-26 06:14 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2012-12-26 09:19 pm (UTC)arrrrrrgh i just love it so much ♥
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Date: 2013-01-06 04:43 am (UTC)